Principal Engineer
Full Time | £74,781.00 to £87,244.00 dependant on experience | OSHQ Southampton | Hybrid working
Clear the path. Seek the story. Do what matters.
Our principles
At OS, how we work matters just as much as what we deliver. We are guided by three principles and will be use these to assess competencies during the hiring process:
* Clear the path – Cut the noise, simplify and remove blockers so work can move at pace
* Seek the story – Listen fully, build understanding, fact‑check assumptions and speak up
* Do what matters – Focus on value, make deliberate stop/start/continue decisions, and recognise the contribution of others
Who we are
We are Ordnance Survey, Great Britain’s national mapping service and a pioneer in geospatial technology. With over 230 years of trusted data, we empower better decisions, deeper understanding, and meaningful connections to the places we live, move through, and care for.
Our Business Systems team plays a critical role in enabling Ordnance Survey to deliver secure, scalable and reliable technology services that underpin the organisation’s day‑to‑day operations. The team works collaboratively across OS, providing technical leadership, engineering capability, and modern platforms that support our strategic goals.
Join us and you’ll help define the engineering standards, practices and architecture that shape OS’s future technology landscape.
About the role
We’re looking for an exceptional Principal Engineer to operate as a senior technical authority within Business Systems. You’ll provide deep technical expertise, lead on our most complex engineering challenges, and influence organisational‑wide technology direction.
As the most senior engineer in the domain, you will set standards, provide technical assurance, mentor engineers, and ensure our platforms, integrations, and tools meet OS’s long‑term needs. You’ll work closely with senior leaders, architects, product teams, and delivery managers to design, implement, and continually improve high‑quality technical solutions.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives on strategic influence, technical depth, and lifting engineering capability across multiple teams.
What we’re looking for
In this role, you’ll be responsible for technical leadership & strategy, engineering excellence and delivery, collaboration & influence, coaching, mentoring & community development. You will:
Essential:
* Deep and broad technical expertise in software engineering, system design, integration, Azure, CRM, Finance systems and API’s .
* Proven experience leading large‑scale technical change, architectural design, or complex engineering initiatives.
* Strong ability to influence technical strategy and bring clarity to ambiguous or complex technical problems.
* Experience providing technical assurance and ensuring solutions meet required standards.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders.
* Demonstrable experience coaching and mentoring engineers.
* Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on technical involvement.
* Work alongside the Product Manager to ensure market insights inform product decisions.
Desirable:
* Experience working within a service‑led, product‑aligned operating model.
* Familiarity with modern delivery and engineering practices (Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, testing automation).
* Understanding of cloud‑native architectures and modern application platforms.
* Experience improving engineering capability at scale across multiple teams.
If you are interested in joining a team that lies at the heart of what OS is about, we are looking for someone that can demonstrate skills and experience in:
* Senior‑level technical leadership across complex systems.
* Technical expertise in CRM, Finance Systems, API Development and MS Azure
* Strategic engineering decision‑making and technical roadmap influence.
* Architecting large‑scale, secure, resilient technology solutions.
* Collaborating across multidisciplinary teams to deliver high‑value outcomes.
* Raising engineering standards and mentoring technical talent.
* Communicating complex technical concepts with clarity and impact.
* Driving continuous improvement and innovation in engineering practices.
The Rewards
We want you to love what you do and feel supported to do your best work.
Our benefits include:
* Competitive salary and pension (OS contribute up to 12.07%)
* Performance‑related bonus (where applicable)
* 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with service)
* Enhanced family leave, including paid partner leave
* Hybrid and flexible working options
* Learning and development support, coaching and mentoring
* Free subscription to OS Maps and access to wellbeing support
* Volunteering leave and matched fundraising
Location
We embrace a hybrid working model at OS because we believe in flexibility and balance. You'll be based at our fantastic HQ in Southampton, Hampshire, where you'll spend 50% of your working week collaborating face-to-face with colleagues. It’s all about combining the best of both worlds connection and autonomy to help you thrive.
Security
OS conducts pre-employment checks for anyone made an offer of employment, including identity, right to work, employment history and criminal record checks (via Disclosure & Barring Services (DBS).
Some of our roles may require additional security vetting. We will advise candidates during the recruitment process if additional vetting may be required for that specific role.
Closing date: Sunday 3rd May 2026 at 23:59pm
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that people may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during the application process.
Research indicates that women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ community members, neurodiverse individuals, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds often hesitate to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Ordnance Survey, we are dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and genuine workplace where everyone can thrive. If you’re enthusiastic about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly match every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other roles within Ordnance Survey.
Skills required for this role:
Computer Coding, Computer Programming, Service Delivery, Software Development, Software Engineering, Technical Leadership, Technical Work, Waterfall Model